Conventional track type vehicles, such as crawler tractors, are adapted for heavy duty work during various construction and earthworking operations. Each endless track assembly thereof comprises a pin and bushing assembly for pivotally connecting each pair of adjacent links and track shoes together. The bushings, which further function as drive lugs adapted to engage the teeth of a drive sprocket, are subjected to wear and require periodic repair or replacement. The servicing of such bushings is time consuming and necessitates rather expensive repair or replacement procedures normally including complete dismantling of the track assemblies.
Various reversible track links, having bolt holes formed transversely therethrough, have been proposed to overcome such problems. The formation of such holes in the track links increases manufacturing costs and reduces the structural integrity of the track links. In addition, the area of the rail surface of the track links, adjacent to the holes, tends to deform or break to render the holes unusable and/or to damage such rail surface.